How To Locate Airpods Without Find My Iphone

AirPods are an amazing piece of technology, which is why they aren't exactly cheap. As wireless earbuds, they have great integration with all Apple products. But what if your AirPods get lost, or worse, stolen?

How to Block Lost or Stolen AirPods from Being Used

Well, if the thief has an iPhone, iPad, or Mac they can easily reset the product and make it their own. Unfortunately, there's no way you can block your lost or stolen AirPods as they're not connected to Wi-Fi. If you're lucky enough you might be able to locate them. Read on for more details.

What Should You Do If Your AirPods Are Lost or Stolen?

Since all AirPods use Bluetooth technology to connect to your iPhone or other devices, they rely heavily on that device. Individually, they're hard to locate because they don't use a Wi-Fi connection of their own.

Don't despair. Apple knows how bad it is when you lose your AirPods, so they've worked out a solution. You can either use the iCloud website to locate your AirPods on a computer or launch the "Find My iPhone" app, which is free in the App Store.

Now, these options don't work if your AirPods get stolen, unless the person hasn't reset them to their iCloud account and it is still running under yours. If you think that your AirPods got stolen, you better act fast! You may get lucky and still have the AirPods connected to your iCloud account. Otherwise, there is nothing you can do unless you simply lost them.

In theory, this may sound complicated, so let's get to the application of this app.

How to Locate your AirPods using iCloud

If you lost your AirPodsFirst, let's take a look at the iCloud method. Follow all these steps if you're using the iCloud website (if you're using the Find my iPhone app, start from step 3):

Visit the iCloud.com website on your computer and log in to your account linked to your AirPods.
Click on "Find iPhone." Yes, that's correct.
The "Find my iPhone" feature will initiate a search process. Click on the "All Devices" tab and choose " AirPods ."
If the search is successful, you'll see your AirPods pinpointed on the map. They'll appear as a green dot if online, i.e., connected to your iPad or iPhone. The gray dot means they are offline or can't be found. We'll get to that later.
Assuming your AirPods are found (green dot), click on the dot. Next, click on the "I" button on the window that pops up.
Click on "Play Sound." This will trigger a loud noise from your AirPods.
You can stop playing the sound, or mute either the left or right Airpod. This is useful if you've only lost a single Airpod. You don't want this sound to blast in your ear, trust us.

Look around your house or the spot where you last remember using the AirPods. This loud noise should help you locate them. In case you dropped your AirPods in different locations, and you only find one of them, put the Airpod you found back in the case because it won't alarm, and use the same steps to locate the other one.

If the Find My iPhone App Can't Locate Your AirPods

If your AirPods appeared as a gray dot on the Find my iPhone app, you've got a problem. This will only show you their last location, i.e. the location where they were last connected to your iPhone or another device.

There are many reasons why this can occur. You need to have the Find My iPhone app installed preemptively before you lose your AirPods. This is the best measure of precaution for losing your AirPods, so it's best to set it up as soon as you make your purchase.

Your lost AirPods may be out of juice; if the battery is empty they can't be found. Also, they could be out of range. The range where you can find them is in a close radius of your Apple device to which they are connected (Bluetooth range).

Finally, your AirPods might be resting in the AirPods case. You can't connect them to your device while they're in the case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block my stolen AirPods from being used?

Unfortunately, no, even though they're incredibly expensive and Apple usually offers excellent device protection features. The only thing you can do is to track and locate them. If your attempts to locate them are unsuccessful, the only way to get them back is if the thief has a change of heart.

Does AppleCare cover stolen AirPods?

No. AppleCare is more of an extended warranty than insurance. This means that you'll have support if something goes wrong with your AirPods (they quit charging, there isn't any sound, etc.) but, you won't get a replacement if they are lost or stolen.

If I lose one, do I have to buy a new set?

No. Fortunately if you lose one component (the charging case or one pod) you can visit your nearest Apple Store to have the missing piece replaced at a lower cost than buying a whole new set. If you're using Gen 1 or 2 AirPods, the charging cases are actually interchangeable so if that's the piece that's missing, you may find another case through a friend or family member. If you do need to replace an Airpod it's $69 or a Gen 1 or 2 pod and $89 for the pro. You can visit the Apple Website for more information on replacing lost components.

Lost and Found

We really hope this helped you to find your AirPods. Unfortunately, AirPods are much harder to find then your iPhone, because iPhones are always online (when switched on) and can, therefore, be tracked more easily. Finding your AirPods depends on the proximity of your iOS device.

In case your AirPods are stolen, you most likely won't be able to find them. This is the harsh reality. If you lose only one Airpod, or you lose the case, you can get a replacement from Apple. You'll need the serial number of your AirPods, to relay to Apple support.

These replacements will cost you an additional fee. If you have any ideas or comments, post them in the section below.